BALTIMORE, Dec. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Under Armour, Inc. (NYSE: UA, UAA), in partnership with three-time NBA champion and two-time MVP Stephen Curry, announced the creation and launch of the Curry Brand, a purpose-led performance brand with a mission to ensure every young person has equitable access to sport.
Under Armour has long been committed to making athletes better, both on and off the court. But in order to be better, athletes need the opportunity in the first place. Currently, only 22% of kids growing up in low-income households are participating in youth sports1 - an issue that Under Armour and Stephen Curry are aiming to impact with the creation of Curry Brand. Because of this, the two are deepening their partnership with a purpose-led performance brand created to provide opportunity and access for the next generation of young athletes worldwide.
"Through the community work I've done with Under Armour for over a decade, I've learned that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not," said Stephen Curry. "All of our work together has been dedicated to creating a more equal playing field that closes the gap between those two areas. Through Curry Brand, along with the work of Ayesha and my foundation Eat.Learn.Play., I now have a long term plan to continue to address the barriers to sport that often hinder and limit a child's potential for greatness."
Curry Brand will work to provide solutions to ensure every young person has equitable access to sport, focusing on partnerships that will provide opportunity for youth sports in under-resourced communities. This commitment will provide apparel and equipment, create safe places to play while ensuring that all coaches are engaged in professional development.
The Curry Brand is embarking on this journey starting in Oakland by committing to Oakland Unified School District to bring the joy of the game of basketball to each middle school, as well as partner with Positive Coaching Alliance to provide professional development for every youth sports coach in the Oakland Unified School District as well as Oakland Parks, Recreation & Youth Development. As Curry Brand develops its impact model and builds its portfolio of partners, it is committed to helping more than 100,000 young athletes by 2025.
"Now more than ever, sport is an increasingly important aspect of our communities, and the fact that some young people never get the opportunity to participate is a problem," said Patrik Frisk, CEO of Under Armour. "This problem, however, is something Under Armour and Stephen Curry felt that we could confidently work to solve together, so with our shared values in mind, we created Curry Brand to do just that."
Curry Brand will feature footwear, apparel, and accessories across multiple categories including basketball and golf, with continued category expansion in future seasons such as running and women's. Curry Brand apparel and accessories are available for purchase now at currybrand.com, with performance basketball footwear releasing globally on December 11.
For more information on Curry Brand, please visit currybrand.com and @currybrand on Instagram.
About Curry Brand
A partnership between Stephen Curry and Under Armour, Curry Brand is a purpose-led performance brand with a mission to ensure every young person has equitable access to sport, providing solutions that positively impact youth sports in under-resourced communities. It aims to provide youth with new apparel and equipment, access to mentors and coaches, and safe places to play. Curry Brand will feature footwear, apparel, and accessories across multiple categories including basketball and golf. Learn more at currybrand.com.
About Under Armour, Inc.
Under Armour, Inc., headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, is a leading inventor, marketer and distributor of branded athletic performance apparel, footwear and accessories. Powered by one of the world's largest digitally connected fitness and wellness communities, Under Armour's innovative products and experiences are designed to help advance human performance, making all athletes better. For further information, please visit https://about.underarmour.com.
1 The Aspen Institute - State of Play 2020 Report
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SOURCE Under Armour, Inc.
Courtney Pierson, Under Armour Brand Communications, courtney.pierson@ua.com, (443) 699-5564
